Wednesday, September 30, 2009

I said I was going to make the connection between that first fishing article and Africa, and I'll get around to it. But at the moment I'm more caught up in current events.

I hunted the West for five years in a row, from 1992 until 1996. To say that Chris's dad didn't like me leaving the farm and going hunting is putting it kindly, and in late 1997 we came to a parting of the ways over it. I always thought that was too bad.......I would have loved for him to have come with me, and brought Chris, and to have made it a real family affair. But he would have none of it.

So in the spring of 1997 Chris and I moved to Tampa. Not my first choice of where to live, but I had some opportunities here, and it seemed like the thing to do at the time. However, it was the end of me doing any traveling to hunt, and almost the end of me hunting at all for 10 long years.

When Chris turned 18, though, I started thinking about going West again. And about that time, a wonderful gentleman, Rick Marshall, entered my life. I had sworn, "Never again," but it just goes to show you that you should never say never.

Last fall we made what was Rick's first hunting trip to the West, but my 6th. For him it was a new adventure, and for me it was going home to the mountains and the prairies.

And now it's that time again. Tomorrow is opening day of antelope season in Wyoming. The only downside of being with Rick is that he works in Montreal and I still live in Tampa! But Saturday we will meet in Denver, pick up a truck and drive to northeastern Wyoming, and have a glorious week of chasing antelopes south of Gillette, and deer in the foothills of the Bighorns.

What could be better than a great guy, great guns, and great friends to share it all with?